Distract
by Taiven
Summary: Disappearances within a small town, where people have described a 'black mist' to have appeared, draws Dean and Sam to the area. What the two hunters encounter is much more dangerous, and strangely more human, then what either of them expected.
1. Chapter One

**Author's Note**

**Hey everyone! This is the first fan fiction I began and it's not completely finished yet, for I am working on a few others at the moment, but it will be done soon. I hope you guys like it. I guess I should do all of that disclaimer stuff but I have no doubt in my mind that you allalready know I don'town Sam, Dean, or anything else associated with this amazingly good show. Just enjoy the story. It may start off alittle slow, just to get everything in its place, but it will get better. **

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* * *

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_The black mist began to collect around his feet, slowly swirling and entwining between his ankles. Its movement suddenly became faster and harsher as it spun around his legs and quickly climbed his body, tightening around his chest and arms, creeping up his neck and enveloping his face. He tried to yell but the mist filled his mouth and clogged his throat. He felt it stiffening around his neck, squeezing his lungs as he tried to gasp for air. It filled his eyes with an inky blackness and jammed his ears to the point that the frantic screams echoing within his mind were all he could hear._

_Thoughts raced through his head as his body felt like it was being tightly wrapped and compacted, but they were suddenly blown from his conscience as a blinding pain tore through his entire being. The pain was like none he had felt before. It felt as if he was being ripped apart, as if each cell that made up his body had suddenly become separate. It was complete agony.  
Before Dean became completely separate, the realization hit him. He was no more. He was no longer in body or mind. He was no longer living._

_

* * *

Sam Winchester sat cross-legged in the middle of the bed, the laptop resting in front of him with his eyes glued to the screen. They flicked back and forth, his lips softly moving as he read the words printed on the monitor. There was a sudden noise from outside and he quickly looked up as the motel door swung open, loudly slamming against the back wall and leaving a small dent._

"Woops."

Sam let out an annoyed sigh at his brother's abrupt intrusion but couldn't hide the smile that crept to his lips as he watched his sibling struggle into the room with an armful of food.

"I got some good stuff for once Sammy. Not that healthy crap you always buy." Dumping the mound of boxes and bags onto the desk sitting in the corner, Dean turned to his brother. "So, found anything interesting?"

Sam turned his attention back to the computer. "Uh, yah actually." He cleared his throat before explaining. "You remember that article I showed you a few weeks back? The one about all those sudden disappearances of people in that one city?"

He glanced up at his brother who had a pensive expression on his face. Leaning his head to one side, Sam waited impatiently until Dean finally responded. "Oh, right. That one about the black mist or whatever they called it."

"Right." Sam hit a few keys on the keyboard and turned the laptop so it faced his brother. Dean walked forward to get a better view of what was shown on the screen. He raised his eyebrows. "More disappearances?"

"Eight more to be exact."

"Think we should check it out?"

"We were thinking about it before, remember? When five people had gone missing, but now thirteen have disappeared. I think we should definitely check this one out."

Dean shrugged. "All right then. Let's hunt some "black mist"." He tore open a box of Oreos. "Sounds scary!"

* * *

The black 1967 Chevy Impala pulled up to the curb and the passenger door swung open. Sam stepped out onto the sidewalk and into the bright sunlight that filtered into the small town. He looked at his surroundings and nodded his head slowly as everything seemed normal. Across the street was the police department, a sturdy brick building with a blue, pointed roof and two flags blowing in the light breeze. Shutting his door, Sam walked around the car to stand next to his brother who was leaning on the open driver's door.

The city of Delta was a small area located in the state of Colorado with a population ranging around 6,400 people. From what the two brothers knew, there had never been a murder committed within the area and the crime rate was mainly below average. Up until a month ago Delta had simply been a quiet place to live.

Unfortunately, the numerous disappearances of random people within the city had caused much panic. Thirteen people had disappeared without a trace. No clues had been found concerning the captor, if there had been one, and there was no news to any bodies turning up throughout the surrounding states. Seven of the missing people had been last seen safe in their homes. The remaining six had either been out on errands by themselves or had gone off alone for a moment when with friends. None of them had been seen or heard from again.

"There's a few extra cop cars in the parking lot but everything seems pretty normal." Dean nodded to his brother's words and then reached into the black car. A few moments later he reappeared with two items in his hand. Offering one to Sam he closed the car door and began to cross the road to the police station.

"So I'm guessing we should have a little chat with the chief, ask around, and see if this is our kind of gig, right?"

"Yep, the usual," Sam said as he followed his brother up the cement stairs.

As soon as Dean pulled the wooden handle and swung open the door the noise from within hit them like a wave. The building was in an uproar. A woman bustled by carrying a tall stack of papers as three police officers rushed past the two bewildered brothers and disappeared into the parking lot. The two hesitated before entering and Dean pressed himself against the wall to avoid being crashed into by a man yelling into his cell phone.

"What the hell is this Sam?" he whispered angrily at his brother. "I thought you said only a few state police had responded to the disappearances!"

"I thought only a few had. Something must have happened."

Sam scanned the room for someone who was capable of helping them and not in a frenzied panic. It was as if the whole department had been thrown into a fluster. There were a group of people sobbing in the corner and the secretary looked as if she had been thrown through a tornado. Sam motioned for his brother to follow him as he made his way towards the front desk.

The secretary was a middle-aged woman with wispy blonde hair pulled into a messy bun that sat lopsided on the top of her head. She sat unmoving in her chair, staring into unknown space.

"Um, excuse me, miss?" Sam shifted uncomfortably as the woman did not respond. "Miss?" he said a little louder and this time there was a reaction. The woman slowly looked up and then sat up straight as she realized she was being addressed.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I just drifted off with all of this commotion going on."

Sam smiled politely and then introduced himself. "I'm Officer Nathan Johnson," he lied as he flashed the stolen badge across the desk. "And this is-" he turned to Dean but suddenly realized he was gone.


	2. Chapter Two

"Um, can you excuse me for a second?" Sam said as he turned back to the secretary. She gave him a puzzled look but then nodded and began busying herself with the phone.

Sam spun around and began to search the office for his brother. He pushed pass a group of police officers hovering around the secretary's desk and suddenly bumped into a woman hurrying in the opposite direction. Papers flew up in the air and then gently fluttered to the floor below. No one in the room seemed to notice.

Sam instantly crouched down and began to help the woman stack the papers once more. He recognized her as the lady who had flown past Dean and himself when they had first entered the building.

"I'm so sorry," he apologized as he handed her a messy pile of papers. The woman looked up from the ground and met his eyes. They were a shocking blue that was only made more magnificent by her long black hair. Sam suddenly felt overwhelmed with the eye contact and averted his eyes to the first distraction. His view fell on her nametag. "Uh," he squinted at the name printed on the glossy material. "Ms. Cass?"

The woman suddenly sucked in her breath as her rapidly moving hands became still. Sam glanced up, daring to look into her eyes for a second time and was shocked to find them a dark blue, almost black. The woman suddenly blinked and her eyes returned to their natural blue once more. Sam stared at her with a stunned expression imprinted on his face, but then the woman smiled, took the papers from Sam's stiff hand as she stood up, and walked curtly away.

* * *

Exiting the police department Sam made his way towards the street. After his perplexing encounter with the young lady in the office he had continued his search for his brother but to no avail. He was beginning to become concerned.

"Dude, where the hell have you been?"

Sam whirled around and almost laughed with relief when he spotted Dean rounding the side corner of the police department. "I should be asking you the same question. I thought you disappeared."

Dean had reached his brother now. "Ha, I'm not that easily taken Sammy, which is more then I can say for you."

"If you're referring to what happened in Hibbing I already told you –"

"Yah, yah I know. It was dark and you had your guard down, and whatever you say Sammy. Anyway, back to our current job, I managed to get some information on the missing people."

"Was that where you were?" Sam silently reminded himself not to get so concerned next time his brother suddenly went missing. "How'd you manage that?"

"Well you know, with all the commotion going on in there sometimes people forget to lock doors."

Sam shook his head but smiled at his brother's methods of getting his hands on classified police files. "What did you find?"

Dean glanced at the police department. "Maybe we should head back to the car first."

"Right," Sam agreed and the two brothers began to make their way to the street. As they reached the sidewalk and waited for a car to pass, Sam suddenly spoke. "Hey, Dean?"

"Yah?"

"When I was looking for you in there I bumped into this girl and-"

Dean grinned. "And you looked into her eyes and felt a deep connection and you suddenly knew she was the one. Right?" Sam glared at him. "No, I-"

"Or maybe you actually want to have fun for once. If you've got your eye on a girl here I won't hold it against you to have a little fun you know Sammy. I mean I've-"

"Dean!"

"What?"

"Will you stop it? This is important."

Dean cast him an amused look and began to cross the street. Sam followed.

"Look, her eyes were blue and then the next second they were almost black."

The two brothers had reached the car now and Dean stopped with his hand on the handle. He turned his head to his brother who was watching him for a reaction.

"Well?" Sam was becoming irritated.

"Well what?"

"What do you think it means?"

"I don't know Sam. It could mean nothing. It could have been a trick of the light or maybe bad contact lenses. Who knows?"

"Dean, trust me. It wasn't like that. It was like her eyes were cloudy, or murky, or something like that. I don't think they would exactly qualify as 'human'"

Dean stared at him. "You mean black and cloudy like black mist?"


	3. Chapter Three

"I guess this is bigger then we thought, huh?" Dean held the steering wheel with both hands, staring ahead at the lineup of cars halted before a red light. It was as if the town had finally woken up. The streets were full ofautomobiles heading to different destinations and groups of people walked along the sidewalk. Everything appeared to be normal.

"Bigger then _you_ thought, Dean." Sam corrected from the passenger's seat. "I knew we should have checked this place out earlier. We're lucky I kept tabs on the town website to see if anything changed." He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed, clearly frustrated. "I mean, if we had come here earlier maybe we could have prevented those eight other abductions. What if those people are never found, or what if they're-"

"You can't blame yourself if they are, Sammy." Dean continued to stare ahead as Sam shot him a fiery glare.

"Why can't I Dean?" he asked in an angry voice. "Do you want me to blame you instead? Is that it?"

"Sam-"

"No, Dean. It's true, I should be blaming you. You're the one who said it was probably nothing dangerous or worth our concern!"

"Sam!" Dean's hands tightened on the wheel as he whipped his head around to face his brother. "How the hell was I supposed to know eight more people would go missing? How the hell was I supposed to know it wasn't just a few teenagers running away from home who had disappeared?" His voice softened and his face smoothened. "We'll find those people and destroy the evil son of a bitch who's doing all of this, all right? We always do."

Sam stared ahead now. "Light's green."

* * *

Sam lay awake as he stared up at the dirty, yellow ceiling of the motel room. Shadows cast by the broken blinds hanging over the window played along the wall to his right and over a picture of a farm that hung crookedly on the torn wallpaper. Sam remained still as the soft snoring from his brother was the only sound that filled the room. 

The proceedings of the previous day replayed in his mind over and over again. The woman's eyes kept flashing before him, the blackness swirling like mist and then suddenly vanishing. What kind of supernatural creature was she? Was she responsible for the sudden thirteen disappearances?

When Sam had looked over the files Dean had stolen from the police department he had found no peculiar similarities between the thirteen missing people. They all ranged in age, sex, race, and background, none of them having a bizarre personal history. It was definitely a mystery...

Dean muttered something in his sleep and Sam was wrenched from his thoughts. Heaving a sigh he turned onto his side, shutting his eyes to finally get some sleep.

* * *

Dean laughed quietly as he gradually awoke from his sleep. He chuckled as something tickled his foot. His eyes slowly opening,the older Winchestersuddenly became aware of the cold tingling on his foot and flipped onto his back. 

"What the hell?" he shouted as he stared in astonishment at his foot. A thin wisp of black smoke was winding its way around his ankle, emerging from the very darkness of the room. He saw Sam move from the corner of his eye, woken from his yell, and tried to yank his foot free from the smoke. The thin strand suddenly thickened and tightened as it seized his ankle and yanked him from the bed.

"Holy shit!" Dean felt himself flying off the bed and then hitting the hard floor below. Before he had time to react he was being dragged across the floor of the motel room in only his boxers.

He heard Sam call his name behind him as he headed straight for the door which had suddenly swung open. A dark cloud filled the doorway, and Dean held his hands to his face as he was torn straight through it. A flurry of black smoke surrounded him as he felt himself being suddenly thrown. The thick smoke swirled angrily around him like a twister as his back hit something hard and metallic. Feeling the sensation of falling, Dean reached out frantically with his hands for something -anything- to grab hold of.

His left hand managed to grip a metal bar and his rapid descent came to an abrupt halt. Holding on for dear life the smoke continued to swirl in a frenzied rage around him. Dean tried to look around but all he could see was twirling chaos as a high pitched hum filled his ears. His hand began to slip, or something seemed to be prying it loose. Dean tried to hang on but the supernatural force eventually won and fear clouded his mind as began to fall once more.


	4. Chapter Four

"DEAN!" Sam tore off the sheets and jumped from the bed just as the door across the room forcefully swung open. He hesitated for a moment as the black mist exploded from the doorway, but quickly corrected his falter and began running to his brother as he was dragged across the floor. It was more of instinct then anything else. His mind was swarming with panic, fear, and an excruciating thought that his brother was about to disappear from his life forever. His body was still sluggish with sleep yet he ran with such speed he reached the doorway just as Dean was consumed by the black cloud.

The swirling mass moved in a swift motion just as Dean vanished within it. It flew over the railing of the fourth storey motel floor and disappeared from view. Throwing himself out the doorway, Sam collided with the metal railing. He watched in horror as the black cloud began to plummet to the parking lot below with startling speed, his brother detained within. Dean was about to fall to his death.

_Dean's going to die._ These were the only words within Sam's thoughts but he could not accept it. He would not allow his brother to be taken from his life so easily and in only a matter of seconds. It couldn't be possible. No, Sam would not believe it.

All time seemed to stop at that moment. A thousand thoughts ran through Sam's head as he stared down at the cloud of black smoke. It was as if a cold gnarled hand had gripped his heart, sending a cold shiver down his spine and a ripple of overwhelming dread through his mind. He could not allow it. "No!" he screamed, and at that moment the black mist halted and a hand tore through its thick embrace. It was Dean, his hand clutching the bar of the third storey railing with a death grip, his knuckles turning white with the effort.

Sam wasted no time. Flinging himself over the railing, he jumped to the third floor below and landed on his feet with his back to the railing. He spun his head around and saw the thick smoke twisting between Dean's fingers, slowly prying them loose. Just as Dean's hand was torn from the railing and disappeared once more within the swirling mass of chaos, Sam threw himself towards the railing. He landed on his stomach as he reached between the bars and jammed his hand into the black cloud. He did this blindly, his brother's hand lost within the twisting, black strands of smoke, but his fingers suddenly tightened around a wrist and Sam groaned as his shoulder pressed against the metal bar from the extra weight.

It was fighting him. The black cloud was very much alive. It was pulling Dean down and he was quickly slipping away from Sam. Reaching out with his other hand, the younger brother gained astronger grip on his sibling's wrist and swiftly switched to a better position. His feet planted firmly before him on two of the posts, Sam used all the strength within him to fight the opposing force of the dark smoke. Adrenaline pumped through his body as he gritted his teeth and heaved, but it was no use. Doubt crept into his mind as Sam's muscles began to weaken and his legs began to ache.

_I will not let you take my brother!_ he screamed in his mind. _If I can't beat you…_ He said the next part out loud in a final attempt to pull his brother free. "Then I'm not a Winchester!"

There was a sudden high pitched screech as the smoke appeared to hover for a moment, as still as the night air, and it then rushed upwards in a flurry of anger. Hitting Sam directly in the face, it rushed by his head and then disappeared into the darkness.

His hands still firmly clasped around his brother's wrist, he heard him speak. "What the_hell_ was that?" Struggling to pull his brother to safety after his exhausting battle with the mysterious black smoke, the two brothers collapsed on the cement floor. They didn't speak for a long time, each trying to make sense of what had just happened. Finally Dean spoke.

"Sammy? You all right?"

Sam turned his head to look at his brother and a laugh of disbelief escaped his throat. "Am _I _all right? Dean, you almost died!"

Dean was silent for a moment as he stared upwards, his eyebrows knitted and his eyes unblinking. "I guess I was lucky you were there to save me, huh?"

Sam only shook his head disbelievingly as he looked towards the ceiling as well. He soon sat up and looked outover the parking lot. "What was that thing Dean?"

"I don't know… But it wanted me dead and that's enough for me to say we've gotta kill that son of a bitch."

* * *

The two brothers had returned to the police department. The chaos had seized now and the office was quiet and orderly. The same secretary sat behind the front desk, her composure much less frantic now that the problem seemed to have been solved. Dean and Sam still wondered what had thrown the police into such a panic the other day. 

That was why they were here now. Something had happened but there was no news of it in the paper or on the internet. They needed answers and Sam was curious about the woman he had bumped into, the one with the black eyes. He had an eerie feeling that she was somehow connected to last night's mystifying events.

"How may I help you gentlemen?" The secretary smiled at the two brothers, her hands clasped before her.

"I was here yesterday." Sam replied politely. "I don't know if you remember me, Officer Nathan Johnson?"

The secretary wrinkled her brow. "I'm sorry, I can't say I do." She laughed. "As you may have found, yesterday was quite a chaotic time here."

"Tell me about it." Sam heard Dean mutter under his breath.

"Right, well, I'm Nathan and this is Officer Keith Lorense." Sam motioned to his brother as they showed their badges. "We're here in response to the recent missing people reports."

"Oh, well thank you but the investigation has been abandoned."

Sam was surprised. "_All_ of the investigations?"

"I'm afraid so. They were withdrawn yesterday for lack of evidence."

"Is that what all the commotion was about?" Dean's voice suddenly cut in.

"Well, yes and no." The woman hesitated and Dean raised an eyebrow. "Yes, some of the confusion was caused by the decision but there was also an incident."

"What incident?" Sam asked, his interest having increased.

The secretary looked nervously around for a moment and then leaned towards the two brothers. "There was a murder."

"A murder?" Dean repeated.

"Yes, but the police don't want to make it public at the moment."

"Why not?" Sam inquired. "Did the family request it?"

"No, no, no. There was no family. The victim was someone passing by the town. They found her in the old theatre, of all the places, choked to death."

The two brothers exchanged looks and then Sam spoke to the secretary. "Thank you, I guess we'll be getting on our way then." She smiled and then went back to work as the two brothers exited the building.

"This is getting stranger by the day," Sam commented as they walked to their car standing in the parking lot.

Dean nodded in agreement. "Hey, did you see that chick you were freaking about yesterday? You know, the one with the black eyes?"

Sam shook his head. "No, but I think we have to check into this murder. Something's definitely not right."

"Yah, I'm wondering why the police are hiding this one." Dean got into the car. "Think we should start by visiting the theatre? Maybe we can catch a horror flick or something. I always love watching those corny movies. Monsters don't even look real."

Sam laughed as he got into the passenger seat. "I think we have enough terror in our lives as it is Dean."


	5. Chapter Five

The theatre wasn't much. In fact, it had been abandoned for over twenty years. Planks of wood covered the doors and windows unevenly, giving the decaying building an empty but hostile appearance.

"Well, I guess we can ditch the idea of catching a movie." Dean walked away from his brother's side, who was looking up at the theatre and at the threatening, dark clouds that brewed above it. "There's gotta be an opening somewhere. Maybe around back. Come on Sam."

Sam followed Dean into the narrow alley beside the theatre and to the back of the ancient building.

"Aha!" Dean pointed to a broken window above a pile of empty crates that led into the theatre. "There's our ticket in."

Inside, the theatre was dark and dusty. The window had led into one of the back rooms, moldy boxes piled up in the corner and an old calendar still posted on the dirty wall. Dean whistled. "Man, I can see this place as a setting for a movie any day."

"Yah," Sam agreed. "I guess we'll be seeing that horror movie after all." They walked towards the partly opened door at the far side of the room and found themselves in the main hall. The refreshment stand was a small counter to their left and across the room was a dark hallway that led to the seats.

"So where do you think they found her?" Sam asked as he looked around, the dim light filtering in from the cracks the only light within the room.

"What I can't figure out is why the police were here in the first place. How'd they find the girl?"

"In the car I looked the theatre up. Apparently teenagers sometimes like to break in, and the last time, one of the kids was seriously hurt falling from one of the balconies. The police sometimes do a little round, circling the building to make sure no one's broken in. They must have seen the busted window and decided to investigate."

Dean grunted as he took out his flashlight and scanned it across the room. There were a few wrappers on the ground that looked as if they were only months old rather than years. "Well, let's check this place out."

The duo made their way across the room and down the hall. The room they entered was very spacious, the ceiling reaching up high. "Spooky," Dean said as his flashlight skimmed across the rows of abandoned seats, all pointed in the same direction. Aside from their flashlights, the room detained no other visible light and the darkness began to hold a sense of obscurity.

"No sign of a police investigation." Sam noted. "You take the right aisle, I'll take the left."

The two brothers split up and began to make their way to the front of the room. Dean reached the stage first and shone his flashlight on the pathetically small screen that stood before him. Dusty red curtains hung on either edge, each tied to the side by a golden cord. Dean scoffed at the inadequacy of the screen and shone the light up the middle aisle.

"Find anything Sammy?" he called out into the darkness. "Not yet!" he heard his brother reply.

A seeping darkness at the edge of the beam cast by Dean's flashlight suddenly caught his eye. The older brother swiftly flicked his wrist to shine the light further up the aisle butthe darkness had vanished. Dean shook his head, knowing it was only his eyes playing tricks. He turned to the right to find his brother but the sound of a squeaky seat suddenly reached his ears. He spun around and shone his light back up the middle.

The darkness was moving. It crept down the aisle, weaving to and fro as it headed towards the stage. Dean tried to call his brother but he was mesmerized by the slowly twisting wisps, its motion keeping him glued to the spot. The flashlight slipped from his fingers and landed with a thud nearby.

The black mist began to collect around his feet, slowly swirling and entwining between his ankles. Its movement suddenly became faster and harsher as it spun around his legs and quickly climbed his body, tightening around his chest and arms, creeping up his neck and enveloping his face. He tried to yell but the mist filled his mouth and clogged his throat. He felt it stiffening around his neck, squeezing his lungs as he tried to gasp for air. It filled his eyes with an inky blackness and jammed his ears to the point that the frantic screams echoing within his mind were all he could hear.  
Thoughts raced through his head as his body felt like it was being tightly wrapped and compacted, but they were suddenly blown from his conscience as a blinding pain tore through his entire being. The pain was like none he had felt before. It felt as if he was being ripped apart, as if each cell that made up his body had suddenly become separate. It was complete agony.  
Before Dean became completely separate, the realization hit him. He was no more. He was no longer in body or mind. He was no longer living.

* * *

Sam heard the 'thud' as it echoed through the seats. His flashlight had been pointed at a suspicious hole in the wall but he now positioned it towards the stage. Cursing as he found the beam of light did not reach the platform, he began to run to the dim glow of his brother's fallen flashlight. As he came to the bottom of the stage his light played along the empty screen that was situated on top of it. "Dean?" he whispered breathlessly. His brother's flashlight was pointed towards the rows of seats, no movement showing within its pale glow. Sam scanned the area with a quick beam of light but he already knew he would not find Dean.


	6. Chapter Six

Dean awoke in the darkness. For a moment he thought he was still within the theatre, but the damp, icy atmosphere told him differently. He was lying on something hard and cold, his arms tied securely behind his back and the right side of his face pressed hard against the floor. His fingers were numb and his entire body burned with a raging pain. 

_I'm in hell_, he stated simply. _I died and went to hell._

There was a creaking groan and a slit of dim, blue light appeared before him. The tear in the darkness grew and dimly lit the room with a faint glow as Dean stared at the light that spilt onto the floor. He could not make out anything behind the opening but the room he was positioned in began to slowly reveal itself. It was small and tedious, the walls and floor appearing to be made out of cement. Dean's breath showed before him, a thin, white puff that vanished as quickly as it appeared in the chilly air.

A figure appeared in the opening, casting Dean into shadow. The form looked human yet darkness swirled around it, consuming the shape as it began to walk forward.

Dean strained to free himself from his restraints but the pain he felt grew and overwhelmed him to the point that he cried out. A laugh sounded in the room as the figure stopped a few feet away from Dean.

"Hurts, doesn't it?" came a shockingly human voice. Dean squinted up at the figure. "Who the hell are you?" the asked in a choked voice, pain tearing through his mind with the effort to speak.

The figure ignored him. "Don't worry," it said, taking a step closer. "The pain won't last forever. You'll get used to it." The form crouched down in front of Dean, running a damp hand across the young man's face. Dean flinched as he felt the thin wisps of smoke tickle his skin, but could not move away for fear of the pain that would reappear.

"I remember when I was once like you," came the voice again, calm and masculine. "I remember when I looked normal." The voice grew angry. "I had eyes like yours, dark hair, soft _skin_." He spat out the last word with venom in his voice.

Dean gritted his teeth, completely helpless. "Who the hell are you?" he asked again. The figure withdrew his hand. "Ah, of course. How rude of me to not introduce myself." The creature suddenly struck out his arm, seizing Dean's neck and pulling him close to his face. "I am Silas," it hissed. "I am the cursed one." The black smoke from the creature's hand began to slither up Dean's face asthe older Winchesterclenched his teeth in agony. "You are my prisoner." the voice said softly, almost gently before its tone grew angry and threatening once more. "_I am your master_."

* * *

Sam found himself in the police station once more. This time he did not stop by the secretary's desk to introduce himself. He had picked the lock of a side door and was now in the back of the building. He had one motivation, one purpose, to be in here. The woman. The woman was the only lead he had to the whereabouts of his brother. She was connected, he knew it, and she would tell him where Dean was.

She was coming out of her office down the hall when he first saw her. Wasting no time, he quickened his pace and reached her just as she was closing the door behind her. He didn't let the door shut, but instead pushed the woman into the room and locked the door behind him. Pinning her to the wall, one hand over the woman's mouth, Sam snarled, "Where's my brother?"

He removed his hand from her mouth, risking the chance of a scream, but was shocked when the woman began to laugh. It was not an ordinary laugh but sounded cruel, almost inhuman.

"You're brother?" she cackled. "You will never find him again." He pressed his arm against her neck. "Where is he?" he demanded to know.

The woman giggled. "He is with _him_."

"Him?" Sam whispered incredulously. "Who is he?" He increased the force of his arm, causing the woman to struggle.

"The Cursed One! You're brother is his slave, his servant! He will never escape. You're brother is lost from you!"

"Where is he?" Sam was shouting it now, anger blazing in his eyes. He didn't care if anyone heard him. He just needed to find his brother.

The woman began to laugh again as her eyes became crazed and detached. Sam knew she wasn't with him anymore. She wouldn't be able to answer his questions.

He let her drop to the ground where she became silent and unmoving, sitting up against the wall and staring into space. Sam left her like that, entering the hallway once more and exiting the building through the side door.

He made his way back to the parking lot where the Impala was parked. As he rounded the corner he noticed someone sitting in the front seat of the black car. He began to jog towards the Chevy Impala. "Hey!" he shouted. "That's not your car!"

Sam couldn't believe his eyes once he reached the car. Dean was sitting behind the wheel, one hand thrown over the seat and a grin on his face.


	7. Chapter Seven

"Dean?" It had taken sometime for Sam to speak, not believing his brother was there before him. He ran to the window to see his sibling's face more clearly. "Where the hell have you been? I thought you were gone! Where did you go from the theatre? And without telling me, you stupid jerk!"

Dean's smile disappeared and his face became suddenly serious. "Get in the car Sam."

"What?"

"Get in the car."

Sam obeyed and slid into the passenger's seat, closing the door behind him. "Dean, what happened? What's going on?"

Dean pulled out of the parking lot and began driving. "I _was_ taken. By a crazy freak named Silas."

"The Cursed One?"

Dean cast his brother a surprised glance. "Yah, how the hell did you know?"

"I had a little chat with the woman in the police station. She said you had been taken," he paused. "And that you were this guy's slave or some sort of servant. Dean, are you all right? What did he do to you?"

"He _tried_ to make me obey him. He tried to brainwash me or something like that. Son of a bitch… I got away though. I know where he's hiding so we've got to go there now and kill this freaky bastard."

"Where is he hiding?"

"Some old abandoned warehouse outside of town."

"Out of town? Did he take you there? How did you get back so fast?"

"I don't know man. I ran my ass off."

Sam laughed. "Now that's a sight I'd pay to see."

* * *

They arrived at the warehouse only minutes later, Dean having broken practically every road law to get them there as fast as possible. The warehouse was a large building with broken windows, long grass surrounding it, and dirty white walls. It was impossible to tell what it had manufactured. Sam followed Dean through an entry way in the side, down a flight of stairs, and into a large, crumbling room. 

"Are you sure this is where he is?"

"Dude, I was here. Trust me, he should be just over there." stated Dean in a slightly annoyed voice as he pointed to an opendoorway with the barrel of his shotgun.

Sam adjusted the duffle bag strap on his shoulder. "Don't you think he'll be expecting us?"

They entered a small room, two dirty windows the only source of light. It was a dead end.

Dean stopped and slowly turned around, a crazed look in his eyes. "That's the idea."


	8. Chapter Eight

"Dean? What the hell dude." Dean was staring at his younger brother as if he were a guinea pig. A pathetic rodent trapped in a cage with no way out. "Dean?" It suddenly dawned on Sam that his brother hadn't escaped. He _had_ been brainwashed, and now he was a prisoner. A follower. A servant.

Alaugh suddenly came from behind him and Sam spun around to face the owner of the voice. He gasped in surprise as he stared at the entranceway to the small room as something appeared within it; the cloud of black smoke, but now Sam realized what he was really dealing with. This _thing_ was human, or at least it took the shape of a human figure. The black smoke swirled around its arms, its legs, its torso, forming the shape of a body and giving it an evil appearance, the blackness of the smoke dark and threatening.

Sam could not find his voice. He was beyond speechless, even his mind blank now. The voice of the creature suddenly brought him back and he pushed the numbness of the shock from his mind and focused on the figure before him.

"Sam," the creature spoke, its voice low and intimidating. "I believe you already know who I am."

Sam hesitated before replying, his voice slightly shaking. "Silas, The Cursed One."

Silas laughed once more, his voice booming through the room and Sam turned his head to look at his brother. Dean was staring at him; his head bent low and a grin on his face. Sam turned back to Silas.

"What did you do to him?"

"I did him a favor!" Silas spat, suddenly becoming angry. He took three steps forward and stopped before Sam. His face was blank, no eyes, no mouth, no nose. It was all consumed by the black smoke, swirling continuously around his body, taking the place of his skin. It was truly frightening.

"How so?" Sam asked in a disgusted voice, not giving in to the terror that now gripped his heart.

Silas stepped away from Sam and walked towards Dean, placing a misty hand on his shoulder. His voice was soft now, almost kind like a parent's. "By giving him the chance to become something so much more then just _human_." Dean still stared at Sam who had turned to follow Silas' movements.

"Don't touch him." Sam threatened. Silas ignored the younger Winchester as he tilted his head to the side, running his hand down Dean's face. "It's strange, isn't it? Skin, that is. It's so… fragile, yet it's what keeps us whole. I think it may be what makes us human, don't you think?"

Sam didn't answer but only stood still, anger burning in his eyes as he listened to Silas speak.

"I mean, our skin is our protection. It protects our heart and our veins. It keeps our blood within us."

Sam's hands began to shake but he did not know whether it was caused by terror or rage. Silas continued to stroke Dean's face.

"It protects us but it can easily be broken." Silver glinted in the creature's hand as he brought it down the side of Dean's face, a line of crimson red trailing behind.

"No!" Sam shouted and he jumped at Silas. He fell right past him, through a flurry of dark smoke and then to the floor behind him.

"Sammy, Sammy, Sammy…" Silas' voice seemed disappointed as Sam struggled to his feet to face the creature.

"Don't call me that,"the younger Winchesterwarned as he breathed in deeply. "Get away from my brother."

Dean still faced the other way but Sam could see the trickle of blood running down his brother's neck. "You're going to pay for what you've done." Sam said this menacingly, all fear and doubt gone from his mind now, replaced with a burning fury.

Silas scoffed at Sam's threat. "Wouldn't you like to know why I am doing this, Sammy? Why I took those thirteen people? Why your brother must obey me?"

Sam looked surprised for a moment. "You took those thirteen people?"

The creature laughed mockingly. "Why of course. I thought you would have figured that one out by now."

Sam ignored the sneering tone and narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

"For the same reason we all do it, Sam. Revenge. Greed. Reprisal. Something was taken from me and I can never have it back. Something all of _you_ take for granted. In its place I received a gift." He spread out his arms to gesture to the smoke surrounding his body. "But I will never forget the fact that this is also a curse," he said sourly. "I simply want others to know how I feel each day. The pain that scours my body and my mind, punishing me for something I did not do."

"What? What were you punished for?" Sam decided to keep Silas talking as he figured out a plan. There was no point in trying to fight him at the moment. He was too powerful, and fairly, Sam had no clue what he was up against.

"I was human once. I was like you and your brother. I didn't deserve this. I didn't deserve any of it!"Silas was becoming angry, the smoke swirling faster around him now. It suddenly slowed as he appeared to become calm once more. "I was in the theatre at the time… It was closed as it is now. I was just passing by the town… I had no money and I needed a place to sleep. The place looked as good as any. I still don't know what happened that night…"

Sam was listening now, a plan still forming in the back of his mind but part of his attention lingering on the creature before him.

"All I know is I died that night. I was murdered and condemned to this body. To this cursed life!"

"Murdered?" Sam asked.

"Yes… The police found me a few days later, the skin missing from my body. I still don't know what did it to me."

"Wait a second. The police found your body? But how is that-"

"I don't know! I don't know what happened that day but I do know that this is who I am now. I'm a freak. A monster…"

"Silas, hold on." Sam was beginning to see a chance forming. This – creature – was not a monster. He was no demon or spirit. He was human. At least a small amount of him was. "If you were murdered, then what did they do to your body?"

Silas snorted. "What did they do? They covered it up of course. No one cared about some teenager with no identity. The police didn't even bother announcing it to the public."

"The girl… The one who was found killed in the theatre. Did you…?"

"Kill her?" Silas finished Sam's question. "Of course I killed her. I wanted to know what the police would do, and of course they did the exact same thing. No identity, no name, no need to tell others about her death. Those selfish bastards! They just didn't want more work for themselves… But I'll punish them for what they did, to me and to her. I'll make our deaths known."

"Silas, listen to me." Sam was hoping he would be able to convince Silas to let him and his brother go, and all the others. "It's- It's horrible what they did to you. It was wrong but so is what _you_ are doing. This isn't right."

Silas was silent for a moment but then let out a cruel laugh. "I know what you're thinking. You think I can still be helped, that I still have some human left in me. You're wrong Sammy. I died a long, long time ago, and ever since, I've been trapped within a painful world. I was so confused about what had happened, why no one ever did anything to try to help me. I stayed away from everyone else, where they couldn't see me for what I am now. I was driven insane by the constant thought of 'why me?'" He paused. "But I soon grew to realize that I was not doomed to an eternity of suffering. I could use my powers to get revenge, and so I am."

He suddenly spun around and grabbed Dean, holding a glinting metal knife to his throat. Dean simply stood there, staring into space as he accepted the cold metal pressing against his skin. Sam held his breath. "Don't hurt him. Please, just… don't hurt him."

"You're a strange one Sam," Silas said, almost admiringly. "The others are so easily controllable, but you? Your mind fights back. I could feel the power within you when I tried to take you in the motel room while you were sleeping. I thought I could weaken your mind if I killed your brother, so I tried that night but you saved him. Then the thought occurred to me. You would let me control you if your brother's life was threatened, wouldn't you?"

Sam's heart beat faster and faster as he fought the urge to pounce and fight.

"Come to me Sam," called Silas in a beckoning tone. "Come and share in my power. Be my servant. Let me guide you. Let me teach you and help you like I have to all the others. Let me take away your pain and suffering and replace it with my control. You can join my army as your brother already has. Together we can punish all those who do not understand the pain we go through. I know what you're life is like. I know the anguish you feel each day. You can help me, you are strong. Come to me Sam."

Sam stared at Silas and then at his brother, a line of red blood already forming around the knife's edges. He saw no way out of this. His mind was in a haze, no thoughts making sense. Hesitantly, Sam took a step forward, and then another.

"Come to me Sam."

The black mist slowly slithered onto his skin. It was cold and damp as it swirled around his neck, growing thicker and blacker. Sam could feel it taking control. It numbed his body, leaking into his mouth and his ears, covering hisskin and swallowing him whole. He stared at the figure before him, wrapped in shadows. Silas had his hand on Sam's head, and though he had no face, Sam knew he was smiling. He had won.

The smoke began to cover Sam's sight. Inky blackness filled his vision as his mind started to shutdown and his movements became those not of his own. Silas was controlling him now. Sam was his servant - his slave. In one last effort Sam's eyes flickered to his older brother. Dean still stood there, blood trickling down his neck and his eyes cold, dark, and empty.

_This is not what he would want_, thought Sam weakly as his mind was almost completely lost in the darkness. _He would not want me to sacrifice both of us. Dean would want me to fight._

Sam knew he needed to resist but his vision suddenly turned black and pain tore through his body. "That's it Sam." Came Silas' voice. "Come to me. You are here. You are mine!"

It took all his strength, all of Sam's effort to fight through the pain. Sam would not succumb to Silas' power. He would not let this monster take both him and his brother.

Sam could feel Silas in his head and he lashed out with his mind, tearing at the darkness. "No!" he shouted as the shadows were ripped away and replaced with a blinding light. There was a sudden unearthly screech and the rushing of air as the pain increased tremendously. It grew until Sam could not take it, the white light burning his eyes and scorching his skin.

It was so excruciating –so agonizing- that Sam screamed out, but then there was only silence that filled the room afterwards.


	9. Chapter Nine

**Author's Note**

**Thanks for the reviews! Here is the next chapter. It's short but the next one will be longer, I promise!**

* * *

"Sammy? Sam!" 

Sam slowly opened his eyes and focused on his brother's concerned face hovering above him.

"What…What happened?" He gradually sat up, his eyes unfocused and his head throbbing. He raked his brain for memories but it only caused him to feel nauseous and dizzy and he quickly gave up.

"I was hoping you could tell me." Dean said as he helped his younger brother to his feet. In the theatre, standing on the stage; this was the last recollection Dean had. He remembered shining his light up the middle aisle. Something had caused him to do so, but then everything went dark and he had awakened here.

"Silas!" Sam suddenly blurted out.

The older Winchester looked up at his brother, Sam's expression suddenly becoming a mixture of emotions. "What the hell is Silas?" asked Dean, confusion clearly in his voice.

"Not what. Who." This was all Sam said as one emotion stood clearly out and he cast a wary glance at his brother. He was studying the older Winchester as if he were a suspect not telling the truth.

"Dude, why the hell are you staring at me like that? And _who_ is Silas?"

Sam sighed and then said, "Sorry Dean, but I can't take a chance."

Dean opened his mouth to ask his brother what the hell he was talking about but was swiftly silenced by a fist to the face. He collapsed to the ground in a heap and Sam stared down at him guiltily.

"It's safer this way," he said as he dragged his older brother to the corner of the room and behind a stack of broken crates. "Trust me."

* * *

Dean groaned. He delicately touched the tender skin on his face and flinched in pain. "Son of a…" he mumbled as he picked himself up from the ground and looked around the room. "Sam? Sam, I'm going to kick your ass!" 

He stomped angrily around the heap of crates he had been situated behind and walked towards the doorway. It was difficult to see for there was now little light filtering in from the two windows. It had become dark outside and Dean wondered how long he had been out.

"Sam!" He called again, not caring that this was an extremely stupid thing to do. He was furious at his brother, his hands transforming into fists as he walked out into a larger room. The walls were chipped and stained and the floor was filthy. It was almost impossible to see across the room for lack of light.

Dean wished extremely that he could remember what had happened before he had awoken in the small room and seen his brother unconscious on the floor. Part of his life had been stolen from him and he needed it back. He thumped his head with a curled up fist, angrily willing his brain to recollect, but it was no use. "Stupid brain…" he mumbled a he stalked off to the opposite side of the room.

He had no weapons. He had no clue what was going on. All he _did_ know at the moment was that his brother had gone off, probably trying to be the hero in some way, and now he needed Dean to save his ass.

He opened his mouth to call for his brother once more but the sound of footsteps quickly silenced him and he darted into the shadows. He stood still, his body in an alert stance, as the footsteps hurried towards him from a barely visible opening in the darkness. As they came closer he quietly slipped to the wall and slowly crept closer to the entrance. His eyes focused on the gape of darkness in the wall and his ears dutifully aware of the soft echoes only feet away, Dean crouched low and prepared for whoever, or whatever, would appear before him in only a matter of seconds.

A figure emerged in the darkness and Dean hurled himself at it, grabbing the form and crashing to the ground with it tightly in his grip. It struggled, legs wildly thrashing about, but Dean had gained the upper hand and quickly had it pinned beneath him. "Where's my brother?" he snarled.


	10. Chapter Ten

**Here is the next chapter. Thank you to all who read my story, and to all of you who review! It really means a lot. This chapter may not explain all you want to know but I assure you the next will definitely have some answers. There will probably be only a few chapters left.**

* * *

"Let go of me!" The shrill words rang out in the darkness. Dean stared down at the squirming figure beneath him with confusion. He could not make out the features of the person but the voice had clearly belonged to a woman. He was about to weaken his grasp and apologize but his years of hunting had taught him better. He still didn't know what the hell was going on and he wasn't about to fall into any trap. For all he knew this woman could easily be a demon in disguise. 

"Answer my question," he hissed.

The woman gave one last effort to free herself from his hold but Dean proved to be too powerful and she let her head drop back to the cement floor in a sign of defeat. "I don't know what you're talking about. Just let me go!"

"Not until you tell me who you are and what you're doing here."

"My name's Cyri. I don't know how I got here. Just let me go!"

Still having suspicions, Dean finally released the girl and began to stand up. A grunt of surprise escaped his lips as he felt the knee connect with his stomach and he doubled over to the side. A foot flew up and caught him directly on the left shoulder and a new pain burst across his face as the side of a fist quickly swung across the air. He fell to the floor, his back hitting the concrete and knocking whatever little air remained in his lungs out of his body, leaving him gasping.

The scurry of feet could be heard as the girl's outline disappeared within the shadows and the sound of footsteps began to head in the opposite direction. Dean was barely able to speak but managed to call out after her. "Wait!" he wheezed. "Hey!" His voice did not appear to be loud enough and the footsteps quickly faded. Dean rested on the cold ground for a few moments, recollecting his breath and letting the fact that he had just gotten his ass kicked by a girl sink in. He finally was able to stand up and groaned as numerous parts of his body ached from the strain.

The scream echoed through the room and Dean swung his head in the direction it had come from. He began to run blindly in the darkness, ignoring his sore and bruised muscles and running towards the area the footsteps had faded to only moments before. There was light ahead and he realized he was now running down a hallway. The dim glow held a blue tinge and a figure suddenly appeared in its light. Dean came close enough to make the guess that it was the girl he had just met and slowed down when she didn't become alarmed at the sound of his approaching footsteps.

Her back was turned to him and she was standing at the end of the hall. Dean walked the last few feet towards her and saw that she was staring at a strangely lit room. The bluish light came from a single light bulb hanging from the low ceiling and the walls were plastered with dirty, peeling wallpaper. There was not much occupying the room other than an empty box in the far corner and a long table running along the left wall. There were no windows and only a single, open doorway at the far end that appeared to lead into another dark hallway.

The girl was breathing deeply and Dean could hear her ragged breaths. Reddish brown hair hung across her back in gnarled strands and her white top and blue jeans were crinkled and dirty with dust. Dean reached out his hand and touched her shoulder.

The woman spun around, stumbling backwards and staring at Dean with wild, frightened eyes. She was young, appearing to be in her early twenties. "Where the hell am I?" she shouted. "Who are you and what the hell was that _thing_?" Dean looked around for the 'thing' she was referring to but could find no extraordinary object in sight. His eyes fell on the girl before him once more and he shook his head.

"Listen, I don't know what's going on either. I don't know how we got here and I'm pretty sure something very strange is happening. Just tell me what thing you're talking about."

"That-That black thing! It was like a giant cloud of smoke and it just flew out the door!"

Realization struck Dean and his eyes widened. The black mist; it must have brought him and his brother here. He cursed himself silently for having been so stupid but immediately directed his attention to the girl once more. "Cyri, right?" She nodded, her expression clearly showing hostility. "I'm not going to hurt you." Dean reassured though she didn't seem convinced. "Look, I'm sorry for tackling you back there but I thought you were someone else. We have to get out of here so you're going to have to trust me."

The hostility in Cyri's gaze turned to caution. "Who are you?"

Dean considered lying for a moment but than agreed it didn't matter if he told the truth. "Dean Winchester," he said simply but she still remained hesitant.

"How did you get here?"

"I was on a road trip with my brother and we were just passing by the town," he lied, though it wasn't completely false. "We stopped at a gas station last night and when we were about to leave everything just went black and next thing I knew I was here."

She nodded. "All right, but you're brother. Do you think he's here?"

Dean nodded his head slowly. "I think so. I need to find him."

Cyri nodded once more in agreement and then gestured towards him. "You're bleeding." Dean cast her a confused glance. "You're neck." Dean reached up with his right hand and touched his neck, feeling dry blood. He shrugged his shoulders and gave her a small smirk. "I'll be all right." The truth was the cut on his neck simply added to all the other questions he felt building up in his mind.

"Well, I guess we better start moving." Clearing his thoughts, Dean motioned for Cyri to follow him to the opposite entranceway. She hesitated for a moment but then complied and the two made their way back into darkness


End file.
